PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 24, 2023
Scientists are tracking an unusually large and long-lasting bloom of brown algae in the Gulf of Maine. This particular species of coffee-colored phytoplankton, Tripos muelleri, is not new to the Gulf of Maine or toxic on its own to sea life or humans, but it has never before been found here in such large numbers, spread out over such a large area, for such a long time. As the phytoplankton die, they sink to the bottom of the ocean and are consumed by bacteria, which can deplete oxygen and contribute to events like the New York Bight die-off.